Funder: National Council of Teachers of English
Due Dates (Anticipated): September 2027 (Nomination deadline)
Funding Amounts: Annual recognition: winner’s plaque, Honor certificates, and award seals
Summary: Recognizes outstanding children’s fiction that can transform children’s lives through compassion, imagination, and wonder.
Key Information: Eligible books primarily serve children ages 3–12; translations, adult-text adaptations, and reissues are ineligible.
Description
Established in 2014 by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), this award promotes excellence in fiction writing for children. It recognizes books with exemplary literary quality in text and illustrations that invite compassion, imagination, and wonder. Selected works should connect children to their own humanity and offer rich reading experiences that influence their lives and stretch their thinking, feelings, and imagination.
The award commemorates educator Charlotte Huck, who led children’s literature studies at The Ohio State University and championed storybooks for teaching reading and language arts. The Charlotte Huck Award Committee selects one winner, up to five Honor books, and up to eight Recommended books annually. Authors and illustrators receive recognition at the Children’s Book Awards Luncheon during the NCTE Annual Convention.
